In All of Time and Space
by SamiWami
Summary: Rose, trapped in Pete's World while she works on the dimension cannon, runs into a stranger with a familiar face that might just make her time in this universe better.
1. Chapter 1

"All the way to the United States of Mexico? Really? Can't the Mexican or the American Torchwoods handle their own problems?"

"I know, Rose," Pete responded from his side of the desk, shifting papers around uncomfortably. "You do realize that I'll be the one taking the tongue lashing from Jackie for sending her daughter across the pond? But the Mexican Torchwood hasn't reopened since their corruption was unearthed, and the Americans have their hands a bit full with the overflow. They said this problem was big, that they needed the best agent we had. Believe me, if I thought this was something Jake or Mickey or even Stewart could handle I'd send one of them. But your… past experiences make you more equipped to handle this alien than anyone else in the field."

She sighed at the barely-skirted mention of her time with the Doctor. Pete and her mum had been doing that since she came here, sure that if they even mentioned the Doctor's name it would send her into a catatonic panic like the one right after the Battle of Canary Wharf. It had been half a year and she was holding together just fine—mostly.

"Any idea what it is?"

"Not clear enough that they wanted to transmit it to me. They have an agent out in the field now. You're to meet him as soon as possible. He transmits his location daily. A zeppelin will take you there. It leaves in an hour, so get your supplies as quickly as you can."

Rose stood up from the chair, an unhappy scowl on her face even as she saluted him and left the comfort of his office.

In three quarters of that departing hour, she was already seated on the practically empty airship, one pack stuffed with everything she needed, the crew steering far around her by staying out of the passenger bay. Which was nice, except it meant three days of no other distractions than her thoughts.

~/~/~

"Yeah, mum, sure, I'll go on the date, alright?" Anything to keep Jackie from pressing on her about still being "hung up" on the Doctor. She understood her mum was just trying to help, but it still didn't make matters easier. "I don't know when I'll be back. It depends on a lot of different things," not the least of which was how competent her American partner would be, she silently added to herself. "Yeah, mum, I'll call you when I get back in town, alright? Look, I gotta go. We're nearly there."

She clicked off her phone, locking it into one of the zipper pockets on her trousers. She'd heard the upper states of Mexico had terrible signal, so if she was lucky she'd avoid another talk like that with her mum until she was back in the UK.

She slung the pack over her shoulder, clipping it on and tightening the straps. She looked over her own outfit—blue leather jacket, black cargo pants, combat boots, and military pack—flipped her hair over her shoulder, and strode towards the waiting captain at the far end. "Agent Tyler," he nodded to her.

"Captain," she nodded back. "What's the dismount protocols?"

The man scratched behind his ear. "Well, I must say this is one of the more unusual flights I've ever led. There are no docking stations in the area. Are you sure these coordinates are correct?"

She pulled out the GPS device from one of her pockets, glancing down at it. "Yes, we should be right on top of it in ten minutes."

"As you say, ma'am." He turned on his heel, leading her up a winding staircase and out the catwalk towards the bow. They stepped out onto the mooring shelf, the wind whipping around them. "With no docking station," he had to yell to be heard over the wind and the engines, "you'll have to be lowered to the ground from here. Are you sure you're trained for that, ma'am?"

Her irritation was growing. She understood why they constantly switched pilots, to keep the activities of Torchwood out of the public eye, but having to reassure every pilot she'd ever flown with was growing old quickly. "Do not worry about me, Captain. Your safety record will be in tact. Just slow the craft as much as you can, get me close to the ground, and then you'll be on your way."

He shrugged and turned back to shout orders to his crew. She busied herself with fastening the straps of the harness around her, making sure they were secure before the threaded the lead line through. She tugged on it once, making sure the clip would hold, before taking the binoculars from the captain and peering ahead to an outcropping they were fast approaching.

A man stood atop the rock, waving at her ship with both hands over his head. "There's my contact!" she shouted, handing the tools back over to the captain. "Have you got it slowed?"

"Yes. Best of luck to you, ma'am."

"Captain." She nodded to him again before kicking the rest of the lead line off the mooring shelf. She watched it stretch towards the ground before tugging the rope tighter in her hands and sliding off the edge of the shelf.

Her heart thudded in her throat as the wind tossed her around, her hands tightening on the rope. She couldn't stop the small smile that spread across her face. These moments, when the adrenaline kicked in, this was why she was a field agent. This was the only thing she could replicate from her time with the Doctor.

"Hello!" she heard the American call out, and she looked down to see that she was close enough to drop to the ground. She started struggling against the clip on the rope. Of course it wouldn't release now, right as she slid past the man and continued trailing the zeppelin. He ran after her, eyes fixed on her even as she jerked harder at the clip.

It separated in one move, and she lost her hold on the rope. She dropped away from the pressure of the zeppelin with a gasp. Arms flailing, she sought for anything to stop her from crashing back-flat into the ground twelve feet below her.

She landed into a warm pair of arms, hearing an "oomph!" in her ear even as her hands scrabbled for purchase on his shoulders.

His laugh rang around them as his arms tightened on her for a moment. "Agent Tyler, I presume?"

Wait a minute, she knew that voice. More than knew that voice, she'd brought memories of that voice and its owner back to the forefront of her mind on days she felt particularly alone and weighed down by all that had happened to her.

He set her down on her feet and whipped her hair out of her face, gaping up at him in shock. "Jack?"

He grinned at her, still holding onto her arm, though to keep her steady or to keep her close to him she would never be able to tell. "I'm afraid they didn't give me as much information on you as they seemed to give you about me. But rest assured, I'd like to learn more."


	2. Chapter 2

_He set her down on her feet and she whipped her hair out of her face, gaping up at him in shock. "Jack?"_

_He grinned at her, still holding onto her arm, though to keep her steady or to keep her close to him she would never be able to tell. "I'm afraid they didn't give me as much information on you as they seemed to give you about me. But rest assured, I'd like to learn more."_

One hand on her arm and the other held out for her to shake, he slipped into his customary easy grin. "Jack Harkness. And _who_ are _you_?"

She rolled her eyes even though she couldn't stop the return grin. Different universe, but same old Jack as ever. She slid her hand into his. "Agent Tyler, Torchwood UK, First Class."

He chuckled, tightening his hold on her hand and bringing it to his lips. "Oh-ho-ho, we've got a big wig on our hands. Is there a first name to go with that lovely face, _Agent_ Tyler?"

A blush tinged her cheeks, but she pulled her hand from his, keeping her shoulders squared with confidence. "Perhaps later, Captain. Shall we get down to business?"

He frowned slightly, cocking an eyebrow at her. "How do you mean 'Captain'?"

Her smile froze on her face and she cursed inwardly. It wasn't so hard back home; all the alternate people of those she'd loved knew her story. This was the first time she'd come across a parallel version of someone who didn't know her already. She needed to be more careful on what she let loose.

"Oh, just some British humour there. So what have you got here? Have you identified it?"

He eyed her again before pulling a miniature computer out of his pocket, tapping away at it to draw up some specs. "I'm still not sure what it is, but it's rather large, green in color… I'm not certain what shape it is, it seems to be rather amorphous. The good news is that it's easy to track because it leaves behind an obvious trail of orange slime."

Rose groaned, adjusting the pack across her shoulders. It sounded like they were dealing with a Gastorborous Herk. The Doctor had tried to teach her a bit of the language, and while the croaking sounds had made her throat raw, she hoped she remembered enough to communicate with this rogue Herk. While they were naturally very beautiful creatures in their own atmosphere, on a heavier gravity planet like Earth, the Doctor had said they would only last up to a week before… well… her and Jack would have a very big mess on their hands.

~/~/~

"…And then it spit up all over you!" Jack roared with laughter, setting his drink on the counter so he didn't spill it as he doubled over with laughter. Rose did her best to look put-out, but she had to hide a smile behind her own tankard.

He calmed down a bit, wiping at his eyes. "Well, you managed to handle in a few hours and some hocking what none of my team could do in three days, so cheers to you." He raised his glass to her before tossing it back.

They were in some rundown pub in the Mexican States somewhere, tucked away at the far end of the bar and mostly left alone except when the bartender came over to refill their orders. The counter space in front of them was filled with an assortment of tankards and shotglasses, and as Rose squinted at them she tried to remember just how much she'd already drank.

A low thrumming rhythm filled the club from the jukebox in the corner, and Jack's dashing smile was back on his face. He slid off his stool and held a hand out to her. "Care to dance?" he asked.

She looked around, but the other three patrons in the bar weren't paying them the slightest attention. So she followed him to the middle of the floor, sliding her arms around his neck as he slid his around her waist, holding her to him.

He watched her closely, eyes traveling slowly over her face, until he leaned closer, lips ghosting over her ear. "When does your flight leave again?"

She pulled back, searching his eyes. She hadn't been blind. Her Jack had loved her, and not just in a flirting with her way. Truly, properly loved her. If the Doctor hadn't warned him off straight off, he probably would have acted on that. And while Jack always bragged about his sexual prowess, she could tell that he didn't just sleep around; he found something to love in everyone he'd ever been with.

But was this Jack the same? He hadn't grown up in the 51st century, when everyone was so spread out and the human race had to be a little more flexible. He'd grown up in modern day America. Could this Jack ever love her the way her Jack had?

But as memories of her time with her Jack, and memories of the hours spent with this Jack blurred in her mind, as she watched the way he was watching her, as she remembered all the lonely nights spent sobbing over everything she had lost and just wishing for one small piece of her old life, she made a decision.

He wasn't her Jack.

But she didn't care.

She tightened her hold on him, arching against him as she brought her lips to his ear. "Whenever I want it to."


	3. Chapter 3

She crept across the room, keeping one eye on the bed as she gathered up her scattered clothes. Last night, with Jack, it had been fun, but… Well, he was as much the Jack she loved as Pete was her father. They looked so much alike but they were not the same person.

So she'd called Torchwood while in the loo after he had fallen asleep, and she had a flight back to England in an hour. All she had to do was finish gathering her supplies and get to the heliport. If this Jack was anything like her old Jack, and she knew he was at least a little, he had plenty of one-night stands before. Hell, without the 51st century morality in him, he would probably prefer it this way.

She shot one last glance at the man tangled in rumbled bed sheets before she slipped out the door. There was an entire ocean between them. She could forget everything she'd done here, all the memories this not-quite-Jack invoked, go back home, and keep working on that dimension cannon until she could get back to her Doctor and her Jack.

~/~/~

"But Rose, you promised—"

She stopped in her tracks, her hand tightening on the phone to her ear. "Look, Mum, no means no! I will not go on a date with one of your high-society friends' son again. If I have to sit across the table from one more self-important _cock_, I'll…" She fell silent as some Torchwood agents walked past her, shooting her strange looks. Once they were out of earshot, she continued. "I'm done, alright?"

"Sweetheart, you can't keep pining after your Doctor. He's gone. He said you couldn't ever see him, that it was impossible. I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart, but it's been a year. You need to move on, for your own sake. You think the Doctor would want you to—"

"Mum, this isn't about the Doctor," she lied through gritted teeth. She closed her eyes taking another deep breath. "Maybe I don't want to go out with anyone because…" Her brain worked fast, anything to silence her Mum. "I've already met someone."

Jackie didn't even take a decent amount of time to think over her words. A scoff echoed across the phone line. "Rose, please. You haven't left the office at a decent time since returning from the States. I know; Pete tells me. When could you have possibly met—oh god, you didn't fall in love with an American did you?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, Mum, I've got to go. Maybe we can continue this conversation some other time. Like when I'm not at work? Love you, bye." She clicked her phone off, slipping it back into her pocket.

Leaning against the wall, she took a deep breath before pushing herself back up and hurrying down the hall. Her assistant met her before her office. "There's someone here to see you, Miss Tyler."

"Not now, Lucy. I'm busy." She pushed past her, reaching for the door.

"He's already in there, I'm afraid…" Lucy called after her, a sheepish look on her face.

Rose stopped in the doorway, stunned at the sight in front of her. "Agent Tyler," Jack grinned, getting up from the chair he had practically been modeling, a grin stretched across his face as he walked towards her. "Don't be too hard on little Miss Saxon, there, I'm afraid I'm rather hard to refuse." He sent a wink to Lucy over her shoulder. She giggled and hurried back over to her desk.

"Jack, what… What are you doing here? I thought your office was backed up?" she stammered, still standing in the doorway.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Now, if I didn't know any better, Agent, I'd say you weren't happy to see me." He looked her over again before resuming his chair. "I took some leave. Thought I'd visit the mother country. Just happened to drop by for a visit, and here your office was."

She finally stepped into her office, closing the door and moving around behind the desk. She did her best to smooth her appearance, pushing all the memories and thoughts to the back of her head. "Well, isn't that kind of you. Really, Jack, why are you here?"

He leaned forward, keeping his voice low as if he was afraid someone was listening at the door. Knowing Lucy, it probably wasn't that far off. "You display more knowledge in aliens than anyone else I've ever come across, you give me a night of the best fucking I've had in ages, you look at me like you've known me for years, and you expect me to just let you go when you slip off in the middle of the night?"

Eyes fixed on him, she remained silent. What could she say to that? How much had she really let him see of her time with Jack and the Doctor? And how could she get out of this situation as soon as possible?

Before she could think of anything, her door burst open. "Rose, Jackie's furious. You've got to stop blowing her off, or I'll keep taking the blame. You know, she said—" He cut himself off as his eyes took in Jack, rising from his chair with a cat-who-got-the-canary grin. "Who's this then?"

"Pete, this is Agent Harkness, the American associate I worked with in the Mexican States. Harkness, this is the director of the Torchwood UK, Pete Tyler."

He stepped forward, taking his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Sir. You definitely train your operatives well here." He turned back to look at Rose, his grin never faltering. "_Rose_ was just offering to show me around while I was in town."

Eyes wide, she looked between the two men standing in her office. How in hell had she gotten to this point?


	4. Chapter 4

"Yes. Yes, we'll be by for dinner. And I promise I won't flake out on Mum this time. I'll see you later, Pete." She closed the door behind them before Pete could continue arguing, turning angry and slightly amazed eyes on Jack. He was leaned against the wall, and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

She opened her mouth to say something to him, but knowing Lucy was likely lurking around in the halls, she closed it again, reached for his hand, and pulled him down the hallway with her. She didn't say anything on the elevator ride down, nor on the walk across the lobby.

It wasn't until they were out into the bustling streets of London that she said anything. Even as they continued down the street, at a slower pace this time, she kept her eyes trained away from him. "Why did you come here, Jack?"

He pulled on her hand, forcing her to stop and turn towards him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a serious expression on his face; one that reminded her of when he said goodbye on the Game Station.

But that wasn't him. That was _other_ Jack.

"I already told you why, Rose. I meant what I said up in that office."

She shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip. "You shouldn't've come."

He dropped her hand, taking a step back, and she was startled when his actions actually hurt. "Is that what I was then, Rose? A one night stand for a rich little heiress bored in a new country?" He took in the flash of surprise in her eyes with a cold smirk. "Oh yeah. I may not have learned your first name yet, but you hear things about England's richest family when wandering around looking for a top secret office in the middle of downtown London."

His smirk faded away, replaced with a look of sadness and confusion. "You wanted to fuck me that night and never see me again. And I was fool enough to follow after you like a lovesick puppy. Well, I'll be going, then."

He turned to walk away from her, and as an automatic reaction she reached out and caught his hand. She couldn't stand to see him walk away and leave her life, not again. "Wait, Jack! I—"

He turned back to her, eyes guarded but expecting.

She took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut. "There's… There's a lot of things you don't know about me. Things you'll never understand, or believe. Things that if I told you… you'd think I was crazy." Slowly she opened her eyes, looking at his neutral face. "You mean more to me than you should, more than I care to admit, and I know this makes absolutely no sense to you, but I've seen you walk out of my life before and after the Doctor, I just… I can't stand to lose someone else I care about. I can't do it, Jack, I can't."

Some time in her little tirade, she'd started crying and couldn't stop. She hadn't even noticed, really, until he stepped back up to her and cradled her face with his free hand, thumb brushing away the errant tears.

He dropped her hand again and pulled her against him, wrapping her up in his arms and tucking her head under his chin. She clung to the front of his shirt, crying out the tears that she'd had pent up for months to not worry her mum or anyone else around her. She didn't care that she was crying on a side street of a major London road. She didn't care that paparazzi could come along any time and snap photos of her "nasty breakup with a mysterious beau." She didn't even care that he would definitely think she was a nutter after this and definitely go running back to America where she'd never see him again, except for the part of her that really did care if he left.

As her sobs started to subside, she was surprised to find him still holding her tightly, brushing lips across the top of her head and murmuring soothing words to her. She pulled loose of his hold, brushing at her cheeks and offering a self-deprecating smile. "You must think I'm a complete loon now. Probably aching to run back across the pond."

He stepped closer to her again, cupping her face and leaning down to press a quick kiss to her lips. "I think you've been hurt, a lot, by someone you've lost. I think you deserve to know that not everyone is going to run away from you. I think you have a lot of things weighing down on you, things that you maybe need to talk to someone about. If it's alright with you, Rosie, I'd like to be that person."

She shuddered at his use of her old nickname, even if he didn't know it. But she could see the sincerity in his eyes, and she remembered all the ridiculous stories he'd told her before, both in the old universe and in that bar in Mexico.

Maybe he would believe her after all.

~/~/~

He sat in stunned silence as he cradled his cup of coffee. Hiding her own nervous expression behind her cup of tea, she waited for him to say something.

"There's a… another me… in a parallel universe. Another me, from another planet and another time, who traveled with you and this… Doctor in his time machine?"

She shrugged, lowering her cup and her eyes to the table dejectedly. "I told you it sounded crazy."

He covered her hand with his, forcing her to look up. His eyes, still warring with confusion, were starting to show compassion. "Why are you here without them?"

Tears threatened, but she bit them back. "The parallel worlds really aren't accessible from each other. Kinda stuck."

"Oh, Rosie…" he murmured, thumb stroking over her knuckles. "It sounds like you really loved this Doctor."

"I love you, too," she interjected. "Loved the other you."

He pulled back a little, sad smile on his face. "I'm not him."

She leaned forward. "You are in all the ways that matter." He shook his head lightly, turning his eyes away. "Why do you believe me?"

He looked back to her. "No one could fake that much sadness and sincerity. Besides, like I said, you look at me like you've known me for years, like I mean the world to you, even after we just met. Smart woman like you, you don't feel that way about a stranger."

"So you're not going to leave?" She hated how hopeful her voice sounded, how needy, but she was scared to realize how much she already needed him.

His eyes locked with hers. "I can't say what's going to happen in the future, Rose. You know that. But for now, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

She stood, moving around the table to him, and—crowded tea shop be damned—bent to press her lips to his.


End file.
